Hot To Trot

April showers reign on performance, style, and thunder as Steve Saleen and Ford introduce the Saleen-bonspeed Edition Thunderbird this spring. Sporting 19-inch front and rear forged alloy wheels and fitted with Pirelli’s high-performance P Zero radials, this updated classic rolls with a hot-rod fever blowing away competition through its Borla stainless steel exhaust system. Dusting in a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic costs a cool $60,000. Check out www.bonspeed.com for more information.

A virtual high-performance supercar, this mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, two-passenger baby was REALITY CHECK conceived in cyberspace, birthed as the first street-legal composite car, and christened in Daytona, Florida, in February 2001. The Photon takes the Mosler MT900 to the next level as it weighs less than a ton, packs 18-inch by 10-inch aluminum wheels, and is powered by a Corvette LS1 V8 engine. It revs for $209,000.

POWER STRUCTURE The V12 Vanquish, specially designed for Aston Martin, has twin paddles mounted on the steering panel to facilitate instant gear changes and control its six-speed manual transmission. Available as a two- or four-seater, each car is hand-built and equipped according to owner specifications. On this model, additional customization by 310 Motoring (www.310motoring.com) includes audio upgrade, custom painting, and 20-inch L-Sportline Model I Evo wheels. It retails for $275,000.